With Arsenal failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s tenure at the club, there are understandably a lot of question marks in regards to the futures of some key players at the club. But one key player who looks likely to stay despite a lack of Champions League football is Mesut Ozil, who is widely expected to sign a new contract that will keep him at the Emirates for the foreseeable future.
Judging by various media reports and what the player himself has said in regards to his future, it is no secret that Ozil is loving life in the English capital and relishes his role as Arsenal’s ‘creator-in-chief’ and while nothing is a certainty when it comes to the futures of Arsenal’s star players, the German international is probably the player most likely to extend his stay in North London.
But over the course of the past four years, I feel as though Arsenal have let the playmaker down in regards to who he plays behind. Make no mistake about it, Mesut Ozil is too good to play behind the likes of Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott. Now while these players are certainly not deadwood in the team, it has to be understood that all of them lack consistency, the ability to stay fit for extended periods of time and are not of the world-class pedigree of the German international.
Now although Ozil hasn’t been the most consistent of players himself and has the reputation of not showing up on the big occasions, I believe that a lack of support is a big factor in that as well. To take things into perspective, the former Real Madrid man plays almost every game, maintains high levels of fitness throughout the campaign and has the ability to unlock any defence in world football.
So with that being said, I think Arsenal should bring in a striker who can provide a guaranteed return of at least 25 goals a season. Apart from bringing the best out of Ozil, a move of that kind will be a statement of intent from a club who has always been questioned in terms of ambition. Despite missing out on Champions League football, Arsenal is still a big club with financial stability and can surely sign strikers who are better than the likes of Giroud, Welbeck and Walcott.
AT